Ridging and blocking machine



J. M. COOK ET AL RIDGING AND BLOCKING MACHINE Filed Oct L922 2Sheets-Sheet 1 firm/0m" fame; M. (00k and fob/7 Header Gardher heir 11and 12. In accordance with the present invention the rear or inner endsof the scrapers 10 are bevelled off, so that the upper rear end portionsof the scrapers overhang or extend rearwardly and inwardly beyond thelower rear end portions. (See Fig. 4). By forming the rear ends of thescrapers 10 in this manner they operate to deposit dirt, or the like,caught by the scrapers 10 in a high effective ridge The dumping scrapers17 are arranged in combination with the stationary scrapers 10 so thatthey extend beyond the scrapers 10 and therefore operate to widen theditches formed by the scrapers 10 and so that they can be operated toform blockades across the ditches formed by the scrapers 10. There isone dumping scraper 17 arranged to the rear of each of the scrapers 10.Each of the dumping scrapers 17 comprises a plurality of scraper blades18 rotatably carried on a shaft 19. In accordance with the presentinvention the blades 18 are secured to a sleeve 20, preferably a pipe,rotatably carried on the shaft 19, which is stationary.

The shaft 19 is supported at the inner ends of the scraper 17 bybrackets 21 attached to the scrapers 10 and is supported at the outerends of the scrapers 17 by arms 22 extending rearwardly from the outerends of the rear frame member 12. In accoreance with the presentinvention the brackets 21 and arms 22 carry the shaft 19 close to therear ends of the scrapers 10 and the shaft 19 is formed with anoif-setpart 25 between the brackets 21. which rigidly connects the twoscraper carrying portions of the shaft and allows the shaft to beadjusted relative to the rear ends of the scrapers 10 withoutinterference with the scrapers or with the strap 13 which connects therear ends of the scrapers 10. In order to allow for adjustment of theshaft 19 relative to the rear ends of the scrapers 10 we adjustablymount the brackets 21 on the scrapers 10 and adjustably mount the arms22 on the frame member 12. Each bracket 21 is mounted on its scraper 10by means of a pivot bolt 28 and aclamping bolt 29 which extend through asuitable s ot 30 in the scraper. Each of the arms 22 18 connected withthe frame member 12 by meansof suitable bolts 31 and may be adjustedrelative to the frame 12 by changing the position of, or by removing, awedge 32 arranged between it and the frame member 12.

In accordance with the preferred form of the invention each of thedumping scrapers 17 includes two scraper blades 18 arrangeddiametrically opposite each other and faced in opposite directions. sothat they will both face forward when in the down, or lower, position.The blades 18 are secured to the sleeve 20 by means of two pairs ofstraps 35, one located ateach end of the scraper. The

straps 35 of each pair are secured to the rear sides of the blades andare formed with inner ends which embrace the sleeve 20 and overlap eachother. The overlapping inner end portions of the straps are boltedtogether so that they tie the two blades together and clamp them solidlyonto the sleeve 20. lVith this construction the sleeve 20, which, ofcourse, is subject to more or less wear, may be readily removed andreplaced by simply loosening the clamping bolts in connection 'ith thestraps 35.

The outer edge of each scraper blade 1.8 is provided with a cuttingmember or shoe 36. In accordance with the present inven tion the innerends of the scraper blades 18 are cut diagonlly, or bevelled on, so thatthe inner edge portions of the blat es, that is, the portions of theblades adjacent the sleeve 20, extend beyond the outer edge portions ofthe blades. The inner ends of the scraper blades 18, when formed in thismanner and properly arranged with relation to the rear ends of thescrapers 10, will coopcrate with the scrapers 10, and will feed or forcedirt caught by the scraper 1'4" to the side of the ridge formed by thescrapers 10. The scraper 17 is preferably related to the scraper 10 sothat the opening between the inner end of the scraper 17 and the rearend of the sci-a1 er 10 is such the dirt overflowing from the inner endof the scraper 17 is deposited on the ridge in an even or uniform layer.At the outer end of each scraper blade 18 there is a forwardly extendingwing -10. The wings 40 may be advantageously attached to the straps 35at the outer ends of the scraper blades 18. Further, at the outer end ofeach of the dumping scrapers 17 we provide a stationary side or guartplate 50. We have found it convenient to mount the guard plates on thearms 22. In accordance with the present invention the guard plates 50extend a considerable distance forward of the dumping scrapers 17 andextend rearwardly to, or preferably a little past the centers of thescrapers 17 The guard plates 50 cooperate with the wings 40 inpreventing excess dirt, or the like, caught by the scrapers fromoverflowing or discharging from tl e outer ends of the scrapers andcause the excess dirt to discharge from the inner ends of the scrapersat the ridge.

in accordance with the present invention there is an independentreleasably controlled means for each of the dumping scrapers. Each meansincludes a strap in connection with each of the scraper blades 18, astop on each of the straps, and a trip mechanism adapted to cooperatewith the stops Each strap is arranged at the rear of the blade inconnection with which it is arranged and has a strr ight pa t 55'extending radially from the sleeve 20 at suliistantially right1,eii,siv- I Y 3 angles to the plane of the blades, a curved part 60which extends fron the outer portion of the straight part toward theblade in connection with which the strap is arranged, and a straightpart 61 which connects the outer end of the curved part with the saidblade. The inner ends of the straight parts 55 preferably embrace thesleeve 20 and overlap, as we have clearly illustrated in the drawings,while the curved parts are preferably concentric with the shaft 19. Thestops 58 are removably mounted on the outer ends of the parts 55 andproject somewhat beyond the outermost parts of the dumping scraper.

The trip mechanism 56 includes a shaft having an operating arm or lever71 at one end and a cranir 7 2 at the other end. Shaft 70 is carried bysuitable brackets 7 3 mounted on the frame member 12. The crank 72carries a suitable roller 7% and is proportioned so that it can bepositioned to or and hold either of the stops 58. 'll crank is designedso that it can be actuated by retation of the shaft 70 so that it is outof position to cooperate with th stops 58, By providing the crank 2 atone end of the shaft 7 O the roller 7 1- can be very asily andconveniently arranged on and removed from the crank for purpose ofrepair or replacement. The operating lever 71 is preferably formedintegral with the shaft 70 and is adapted to be swung between thepositions shown in Figs. 4-. and 6 for the purpose of rotating the shaftand moving the crank 72 between the two positions above described. Inaccordance with the present invention a bracket 76 is adjustably mountedon the frame 12, preferably over one of the brackets 7 3. The bracket 76is formed with fin 'er 77 which extends beyond the lever 71 to i it itsrearward movement and thus determinits rear posit-ion. hen the lever 71is in the rear position, as illustrated in Fig. 4c, the

will cooperate with either of the stops By adjusting the plate 76 tlerear positon it will operate to hold the scraper in a oif ferentrotative position. Although the lever 71 may be operated in variousmanners it is usually operated by a jerk line attached to its outer end.

In accordance with the present invention a single spring is arranged inconnection with the lever 71 to hold it in either the position shown inFig. 42 or that shown Fig. 6. Spring 90 is preferably a helical sphaving one end connected with the lever "A and the other end connectedwith a bracl-tet 91, which is mounted on the frame member 12. The partsjust described are designed and proportioned so that movement of thelever 71 between the position shown in Fig.

versely of the machine, preferably a little to the rear of the center ofgravity of the machine, and form the shaft 9 1- at the outer side ofeach of the scrapers 10 with a crank arm on which is mounted asupporting wheel 96. In the particular form of machine illustrated inthe drawings the shafts 94; are

carried b bearin 's 97 mounted on the scra ers 10. The crank arms 95 areproportioned so that they can be swung to a position where the wheels 96are spaced somewhat above the lower ed 'es of the scrapers 10 or to aposition where the wheels 96 extend somewhat belowthe lower edges of thescrapers 10 to support the machine. For the purpose of rotating theshaft 94 to swing the crank arms 95 between the positions just describedwe secure an operating lever 98 on the shaft 94. Eurther, we providereleasable means for setting the lever 98 against movement so that thecrank arms 95 may be set in the desired position.

In the particular form of construction illustrated in the drawings themeans just described for setting the lever 98 against in veinentincludesa stationary notched segment 98", pawl 99 carried by the lever 98 tocooperate with the notched segment, and an operating lever 106 for thepawl 99 lo cated the handle end of the lever 98.

in operation the machine is drawn, as by horses or a tractor, or thelike, so that the scrapers 10 form two spaced ditches and deliver tliesoil from the ditches into a single high ridge between the ditches. Whenthe machine is drawn by horses the operator I ride on the machine and asuitable open 3; mechanismsay a foot lever, etc.,-- may connected withtile releasable control means hereinabove described throughsultablerods, or the like. When the machine is drawn by another machine,say, for instance, a tractor, the levers 71 of the control mechanisn'ismay be operated fromthe tractor by jerk lines. The levers may bereleased by pulling on the jerk lines and may be thrown into opera 'ingposition by whipping the jerk lines in the proper manner. The dumpingscrapers are held by the means hereinabove described so that they areinclined somewhat upwardly and rearwardly and operate to widen theditches formed by the scrapers 10 and to hold and carry the dirt whichthey removein widening the ditches; EX -.s dirt caught by the scrapers17: passes to their inner ends and is delivered onto the sides of theridge as hereinabove described. When it is desired to form a blockadeacross one of the ditches the dumping scraper operating in that ditch isreleased so that it rotates, due to the forward movement of the machine,and dumps the dirt carried by it. As the dumping scraper rotates to dumpthe dirt carried by it it is supported or carried over by the dirt it isdumping until the strap 55, which has been in operation to hold it inoperative position, comes into position to support it until it has madea halt revolution at which time it has completely discharged its loadand is again in operative position. In passing over the load of dirt inthis manner the scraper 17* packs it so that it forms an effectiveblockade. In practice, after the dumping scraper has been released thecontrol means immediately thrown so that it will catch and hold thescraper after it has made half a revolution. The formation andarrangement of the st "aps is particularly important in that they do notin any way interfere with the dirt which is caught and carried by thescraper and yet are of sutlicient extent and are so located as to carrythe scraper around into the desired operative position after the loadhas carried it around during the first part of its rotation. In otherwords, the straps are not of such extent as to out or break the blockadeformed by the scrapers but do operate to effectively carry the scrapersafter the dirt has been dumped.

Having described only a preferred form of our invention we do not wishto limit ourselves to the particular details herein above set forth butwish to reserve to ourselves any changes, modifications or variationsthat may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope ofthe following claims.

Having described a preferred form of our invention, we claim:

1. In an earth ridging and blocking machine a rotary scraper including ablade having its outer end straight and its inner end beveled oft.

2. In a machine of the character described, a diagonally arrangedstationary scraper, and a transversely arranged scraper arranged behindthe stationary scraper, the rear end of the stationary scraper and theinner end oi the dumping scraper being diagonally disposed so that theycooperate to form an upwardly and inwardly extending opening throughwhich material can discharge from the dumping scraper.

8 In a machine of the character described, a diagonally arrangedstationary scraper, a frame member in connection with the stationaryscraper, a dumping scraper, means mounting the dumping scraper behindthe stationary scraper including an arm extendin g from the frame memberand supporting the outer end of the dumping scraper, and a plate carriedby the arm at the outer end of the dumping scraper and so that itextends forward of the dumping scraper.

-1L. In a machine of the character described, a scraper adapted to berotatably carried on a shaft including, a sleeve, two blades extendingradially from the sleeve, and straps connected to the rear sides of theblades the inner ends of the straps connected with the two blades beingoverlapped around the sleeve and clamped together on the sleeve.

In a machine of the character described a rotating scraper including twospaced blades extending from the axis of the scraper, and a partextending from the outer part oione of the blades curved concentricallywith the axis of the scraper and extending only a portion of the waybetween the blades.

In a machine of the character described, a rotating scraper includingtwo blades extending radially in opposite directions from the axis ofthe scraper, and two diametrically opposite members at the outer partsof the blades curved concentrically with the axis of the scraper, eachmember extending from the front of one of the blades only a portion ofthe way to the other blade.

7. In a machine of the character described, a rotating scraper includingtwo blades extending radially in opposite directions from the axis ofthe scraper, two diametrically opposite members at the outer parts ofthe blades curved concentrically with the axis of the scraper, eachmember extending from the rear of one of the blades only a portion ofthe way to the other blade, and parts connecting the outer ends of themembers with the center of the scraper.

S. In a machine of the character described, a rotating scraper includingtwo blades extending radially in opposite directions from the axis ofthe scraper, two diametrically opposite members curved concentricallywith the axis of the scraper, each member extending from the rear of oneof the blades only a portion of the way to the other blade, and meansfor controlling rotation of the scraper including, stops carried by saidmembers, and a relatively stationary releasable catch mechanism adaptedto cooperate with the stops.

9. In a machine of the character described, a diagonally arrangedstationary scraper, a transversely arranged dumping scraper arrangedbehind the stationary scraper, the rear end or the stationary scraperand the inner end of the dumping scraper cooperating to form an upwardlyand inwardly extending opening through which material can discharge fromthe dumping scraper, and a stationary plate at the outer end of thedumping scraper extending forward therefrom.

10. In a machine of the character deposition to engage the scraper, andmeans scribed, a dumping scraper, and control for yieldingly holding thelever in said posi- 1 means for the scraper including, a part movtions.able into and out of engagement with the In Witness that We claim theforegoing 5 scraper, an operating lever for said part We have hereuntosubscribed our names this movable between two positions, one in which25th day of September 1922. the part is in position to engage thescraper JAMES M. COOK. and the other in Which the part is out of JOHNREEDER GARDINER.

